Boot-tree



N6 Model.)

J. W. D. PIFIELD.

BOOT TREE.

Patented Aug. 30, 1881...

WI'M- EEEEE.

UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \V. D. FIFIELD, OF NORTH BROOKFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT-sTREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,301, dated August30, 1881.

- Application filed June 15, 1881.

To all whom "it may concern.-

Be it known that T, JOHN W. D. FIFIELD, of North Brookfield, county ofWorcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Boot-Trees, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to boot-trees, and has for its object a novelconstruction thereof, whereby the parts of the tree may be readilyexpanded and contracted or detached, and whereby the tree may beexpanded at the sole or bottom of the foot part, to tree the foot of theboot or shoe full at or opposite the joints of the toes with the foot.

Figure l represents,in side elevation, a boottree, partially in section,containing my improvements; Fig. 2, a view of the bottom or sole part ofthe boot-tree with its expanding device, the dotted lines showing thesame contracted, as will be the case when the foot part is beinginserted. in or being withdrawn from the foot part of the boot or shoe;Fig. 3, a detail showing the inner face of the foot part; Fig. 4:, adetail of the inner face of the back of the tree near its lower end;Fig. 5, a detail of the lower end of the draw-rod Figs. 6 and 7, detailsof the levers carried by thedraw-rod Fig. 8, a view of the wedge-block;and Fig. 9 shows the socket-bearing for one of the levers of thedraw-bar.

The front and back beams, to b, of the tree, and the draw-rod c, and itsspring 0 and collar c are substantially as usual. This rod 0 at itslowerend is forked, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, and receives a pin, aupon which the two independent levers (1e are placed loosely.

The back b of the tree has fitted to it the bearing m, having a socket,m and slots m for the reception of the parts 2 and lugs 8 ot' the leverd. To connect or disconnect the leverbearin g, the parts 3 of the levermust coincide, when the one may be moved laterally away from the other;but when engaged, as in Fig. 1, the parts 2 3 may turn freelyin the saidbearmg.

The normal or unexpanded condition of the connected tree is as shown inFig. 1. In such condition the levere is acted upon bythe spring 0, (seeFigs. 1 and 5,) but its rotation on the (No model.)

pin a is checked by the stop-pin e fixed to the front part, a, of thetree.

The foot part f of the tree has connected with its rear end a metal bar,f, having at top a hook, f

When the rod 0 is moved in the direction of the arrow thereon, Fig. 1,far enough to remove the lever e from the stationary pin e, the free endof the said lever, under the action of the spring e, engages the saidhook and holds the foot part snugly to the front beam, a, and at thesame time the action of the lever eagainst f causes the lower roundedend of the rod 0 to travel up the inclined face 4 of the wedgeblock g,and the lever d, as it assumes a position more and more nearly at rightangles with relation to the rod 0, pushes the back part, I), of the treeaway and stretches the boot.

The foot part f of the tree has connected with it, at or near its toe,as herein shown, two expanding devices, h, represented as levers pivotedto turn on the pivot 11. at right angles to the bottom of the sole, thefree ends h of the said levers being inclined, as shown in Fig. 3, to beacted upon and swung horizontally outward close to the sole from theirdotted to their full line position, Fig. 2, by the wedgeblock it securedto the back part b of the tree, when the said back part is inserted intothe boot or shoe, the foot part having been previously introduced.

The introduction and forcing to place in the bootor shoe of the backpart actuates the foot-expanding devices and causes the projections 7Lthereon, situated opposite the joints of the toes with the foot, tospread the foot-covering part ofthe boot or shoe and stretch or bulge itin a curve at such point. These expanding devices must be retracted ordrawn in before the foot-f of the tree can be removed. As the back part,b, is withdrawn, this retraction is effected by the spring 7L6.

The levers h are prevented from rising by the cross-piece h 1 claim 1.The foot f, provided-with the hook-piece, and the front and back parts,a b, of the tree, combined with the draw-rod 0, its lever e, to engagethe hook-piece, and the independent lever d, connected with the socketedbearing m, joined with the part b, substantially as described.

2. In a tree, the back part, I), provided with the socketed bearing m,slotted at m combined with the draw-rod c and its lever (I, having theprojections 3 to enter the slots m substantially as described.

3. In a boot-tree, the foot part and movable expanding devices, composedof the levers h, connected with the bottom of the foot part at its toeby the pivot h at right angles to the bottom of the foot part, wherebythe said expanding devices are adapted to be swung horizontally outwardparallel with the bottom of the foot part and expand the same during theI 5 treeing operation, substantially as described.

4. In a boot-tree, the foot and its connected expanding devices h,pivoted at h at the toe of the foot part, combined with the front andback parts, a b, of the tree, and the wedge h, 20

